The bill would also include a wide-ranging study of issues surrounding municipal blight, including a way to pursue corporate interests for reimbursement in the future.

"This would at least help our tax assessors track the owners of blighted properties," Grogins said after the meeting. "A lot of times, when you have absentee landlords who own a property, they move and never give their forwarding address. Your last-known address is your address for legal-notice purposes in this bill."

Grogins said that she was disappointed that the bill does not provide weapons to pierce the so-called corporate veil, but she was pleased that it moved forward.

The other bill would eliminate a loophole that allows Bridgeport city employees to serve on the City Council, even though it acts on the city budget and therefore, the salaries of council members who are also on the city payroll.

State law bars municipal employees from serving on their local tax-setting boards, but not the City Council, even though it acts as a tax authority.

The passage of the bill was a victory for Rep. John F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, who is fighting Bridgeport City Hall on the issue.

"We need the bill because it deals with a loophole in state statute that allows municipalities to basically ignore their own city charters," said Hennessy. "Bridgeport, unfortunately, is one of those that regularly violates its own charter."